He Too Had Stol'n Away
by Felinae Silvestris
Summary: Tumblebrutus is sent ashore on a covert mission. He gets caught, and now he has to face the consequences of trying to steal from the Napoleon of Crime. Off hiatus, updated and completed as of 26/02/08!
1. The Mission

A/N: I'm not dead! Look, I have a new story, which was literally started this afternoon. It comes from the random pairings generator, so thanks to Jesta Ariadne for that one, and also thanks to Deminia for betaing. It's posted this quick, to make up for having deleted Hell Hath No Fury. For the full explanation see my profile, and enjoy this new one. Please note, to make this clear, that Tumblebrutus in this story is not a kitten of the Jellicles. He is Growltiger's bos'un, like in the poem. It is also a future slash, but safe at the moment.

Disclaimer: I don't own Cats, I don't even have a real furry four legged cat. I wish I did own Cats, or a cat but I don't. Is that all clear as mud? Good. On with the story!

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**Chapter 1 – The Mission**

"You understand the mission then?" Grumbuskin asked, pacing in front of a smaller brown and white patched tomcat, who was standing to attention, watching the First Mate pace. He had just finished briefing the young bos'un on the job handed down by the captain.

"Yes, sir. We'll leave immediately." Tumblebrutus affirmed, with a respectful salute to the first mate. The young bos'un then turned to gather the small band of fighters that he was to lead ashore. They had a very important job to do for Growltiger, somewhere in the heart of London.

He lead the small troupe of ruffians away from the docks, and into the busy streets and back-alleys of London town. Two years, Tumblebrutus was thinking, two years since he was last here and he remembered it like it was yesterday. He knew where Macavity's hideout was, and he was sure he knew how they could sneak in. This was a covert mission, they were to steal the diamond collar and get out, as little fighting as possible.

Macavity's lair was a rundown old bar, on the bad side of town. He'd made it his home, and his center of operations for his many "businesses" that he ran. The bar was the public are, where other cats came to drink, gamble and fight. Upstairs was Macavity's private quarters, where he worked and lived. The damp, dusty cellar was used as a prison of sorts, whenever it became necessary for the Napoleon of Crime to have such facilities.

Tumblebrutus knew this, and he was certain that the diamond collar, which had been stolen for the Lady Griddlebone by Macavity in his biggest ever heist, would be upstairs and well hidden. He didn't know why Growltiger wanted it, officially, he wasn't supposed to understand. He was expected to follow orders without question, but Tumblebrutus was smarter than he was often given credit for, and had guessed why the Captain wanted this collar so badly. Growltiger had a fondness for the Lady, and had done so for many years. He had heard that she was no longer working for Macavity, and he wanted to give her a gift, to prove himself to her.

They found a back entrance, and watched it for a while. Keeping to the shadows. There were five members of the shore crew, including the young bos'un himself. The back doorway didn't seem to be heavily guarded, there was only one tom who didn't even seem to be paying much attention. Tumblebrutus nodded to one of his troupe, a dark brown tomcat who slunk through the shadows and behind the single guard, taking him out without a sound.

He signalled again, and the small band of pirates slipped in through the back door. Fortunately this door lead directly to the staircase. There didn't seem to be anyone around, although the slightly muffled yells and drunken singing from the bar told them that the building was far from empty. They climbed the dusty old staircase cringing every time a floorboard creaked slightly but still no-one seemed to have any idea they were there.

Finally the small group found themselves on the first floor landing, breathing silent sighs of relief. So far so good. Tumblebrutus looked around, he was faced with a choice of four doors now. This was where it was difficult, if he made the wrong choice, he'd draw attention to their intrusion and wouldn't get a chance to search the other rooms.

He made his decision, on the door in front of him. It was no different from the others, but he had a feeling that it would be the best choice. He stepped forward, and a cold threatening voice stopped him in his tracks, sending chills down his spine and making his fur stand on end.

"Can I help you?" Macavity said dangerously, standing at the top of the stairs. Tumblebrutus turned to face the ginger cat, glaring at him defiantly.

"We're fine, thank you." The young bos'un answered politely.

"You are anything but fine." The ginger tom smirked, as at least a dozen henchcats appeared out of the darkness, surrounding the small group. Before Tumblebrutus could respond, he had been tackled and pinned to the ground by three henchcats. Hissing furiously, he fought back as hard as he could, managing to create a deep gash in the stomach of one of his attackers. He could hear the unmistakeable sounds of the others fighting but they were outnumbered more than two to one.

Still, the brown and white patched tom fought hard, but he was soon overpowered, and was knocked out by a firm blow to the back of the head. His last thought was for his troupe, he had no idea what happened to them, as he fell into the rushing blackness.


	2. Interrogation

**A/N: **Here's the next chapter, since I'm almost finished chapter 3 now as well. So many stories to write, so little time. Anyways, there is some minor violence in this chapter, but nothing too serious. As always constructive reviews are much appreciated, I'm not easily offended so feel free to tell me what you think

Disclaimer - nope, still don't own Cats. Unless... maybe, but no. I don't.

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**Chapter 2** - **Interrogation**

Hours later, Tumblebrutus woke up, groaning with the agony of a pounding headache. He could smell damp, dust and the stale residual smell of beer. He opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. He was in the pub's cellar, which had somehow been separated into cells. He was alone, and the silence was deafening. Fearing for his crew, he pushed himself up into a sitting position, confused at the clinking sound of metal moving against metal. He felt a strange cold weight around his neck and looked down to see that he had a chain around his neck, which continued on to attach to a hook in the wall.

Curious, he walked over to look up at the hook. It was too high for him to reach, and he could see from where he was, that there was no way to detach the chain without breaking it. He sighed in frustration, sitting down on the cold, rough concrete, wondering just how he was going to get out of this one.

Suddenly the door flew open, and the young bos'un looked up sharply as the tall ginger tom strode purposefully into the room. He stayed where he was, looking up at the Hidden Paw, keeping his expression neutral and impassive. For all the world, he looked like he was just bored, and not in mortal danger. Macavity sat down in front of Tumblebrutus, his expression just as calm and impassive. The patched tom waited for the interrogation he knew was coming, he knew how to deal with that.

"What did you think you were doing, sneaking around my headquarters?" the ginger tom began, in a soft, calm yet icy tone. Tumblebrutus said nothing, merely eyeing his captor with mild curiosity.

"You must have come here for a reason. What were you looking for?" Macavity tried again, his tone indicating danger, despite not changing at all. Tumblebrutus refused to speak, but braced himself. He knew this interrogation technique, and he knew what would come next.

He wasn't disappointed as Macavity lashed out with one paw, slashing him across the face. Keeping his silence, Tumblebrutus managed not to react to the physical blow. Of course it hurt, like hell, but he controlled the pain. He continued to stare at the ginger cat, apparently unfazed by the blow to the face. He could feel the blood start to run down his face, making his fur matted and sticky, but he ignored it. Macavity paused, he knew the game now, and he wondered how long this tom could hold out. He was small, skinny, he looked weak. This one was the leader? How could that be, Macavity was thinking. He had fought back, but then any cat can fight like that when they're in that sort of danger. It didn't matter all that much to Macavity, all it meant was that he would break easily, and it would save time.

"Let's try an easy one then. Who do you work for?" Macavity asked, reverting to the dangerously quiet and calm approach. Tumblebrutus kept his silence, but gave Macavity a look which said: 'Like I'm going to tell you.' Macavity was getting frustrated, although he was determined not to show it. He lashed out again, this time making contact with both paw and claw, with a satisfying crack. Tumblebrutus shook his head, his jaw wasn't quite broken, but he was sure he'd just swallowed a tooth or two. Still he refused to speak, he wouldn't succumb that easily.

"You look familiar, now that I think about it," Macavity drawled, he was sure he'd seen a cat just like this one at the Junkyard, and that could mean only one thing, "You're a Jellicle." he said accusingly, as if it was the worst crime imaginable. Tumblebrutus spat blood at Macavity's feet, and broke his silence in spite of himself.

"I wouldn't associate with the Jellicles if my life depended on it." he spat, wiping the blood from his mouth with a paw. He was shocked though, if Macavity thought he looked like a Jellicle, then what if there was indeed a Jellicle that looked like him. That queen, two years ago, what if she'd had kittens. The young bos'un cursed inwardly. That was the last thing he needed.

"Ah, he speaks. Who are you, then, if you're not a Jellicle?" the Hidden Paw asked, his curiosity overcoming his anger. He could have sworn there was a tom just like this one living at the Junkyard. Tumblebrutus sighed, he had broken his silence, he might as well tell Macavity who he was, it was always fun to see their reactions at any rate. No one expected him to be the tough, ruthless young bos'un working for Growltiger.

"Me? I'm Tumblebrutus." he said cheerfully, made all the more effective as he was forced to wipe blood from his mouth again.

"Tumblebrutus?" Macavity repeated. The bos'un nodded.

"You're Growltiger's bos'un?" The ginger tom persisted, refusing to believe it. Tumblebrutus nodded again, why did everyone find it so hard to believe.

"You are the ruthless, merciless, sharp tongued pirate that lead the mutiny against Cat Morgan?" Macavity asked again. The patched tom rolled his eyes, getting annoyed with this repetitive line of questioning.

"Yes, that's me, in the fur." he said impatiently.

"Hmm... that's very interesting." Macavity purred thoughtfully. Tumblebrutus looked up sharply, giving the ginger tom a confused look.

"What is?"


	3. Action and Reaction

**Chapter 3**** – Action and Reaction**

**A/N: **There is some minor violence in this chapter, but it's pretty tame by my standards and not described in detail. Also, in answer to Adi Sagestar's question, which I decided to answer this way instead of PM in case someone else had the same question and didn't want to ask.

Basically, I got this pairing from the Random Pairing Generator, and decided that it might be a bit dodgy if I had Tumblebrutus and Macavity together, since Tumble is usually seen as a kitten. I thought this might not be all that appropriate, so I decided to take Tumble back to the origin of his name - as Growltiger's bos'un, from Growltiger's Last Stand. So as a pirate, he prefers not to be associated with the Jellicles, who are seen as annoying goody-two shoes by most of the ruffians and scoundrels on the streets and in the "real world". Don't get me wrong, I love Tumble, and he's so cute as a kitten. I'm just taking him in a different direction this time. I hope that makes sense. Anyway, enough chatter from me. Here's the next chapter, so let me know what you think. I like feedback.

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"I didn't know old Growltiger was back in town, that's all." Macavity shrugged, normally everyone knew when Growltiger was going to show up, the gruff old pirate captain was never one for subtlety.

"That brings us nicely back to my original question though. Why were you here?" Macavity asked in a dangerously quiet tone. Tumblebrutus knew that it wouldn't be worth refusing to answer now, so he decided to go for a different tactic.

"I was ordered to." He replied neutrally. It's not like he was lying, and he did answer the question.

"I had surmised as much." Macavity replied, glaring at the smaller tom, "makes me wonder why Growltiger sent you here, what does he want from me?" the ginger tom mused, making it clear that Tumblebrutus had better start explaining if he knew what was good for him.

"Nothing important." Tumblebrutus replied simply. He was eyeing Macavity curiously, obviously he had heard of the ginger tom, but this was the first time they had met face to face. He was sizing up the Hidden Paw, curious about his ability to suddenly change his mood and his entire demeanor. He was scary as hell, Tumbelbrutus thought, but at the same time there was something fascinating about this cat, something almost alluring. He shook his head, what the hell was he thinking?

"I should hope not. Your captain should know better than that." Macavity said significantly. Growltiger should have known that sending cats in here to steal from him would be suicide. Perhaps the scurvy old ruffian was getting paranoid in his old age. Perhaps he wanted the young mutineer out the way? Decided to delegate the task to an old enemy? Macavity couldn't stand for that, he was not there to do other cats' dirty work for them, he had enough of his own to think about.

"Congratulations, you've just saved your own life, or your reputation has at any rate." Macavity drawled, watching for the other toms reaction. Tumblebrutus looked up at him, confused.

"You're not going to kill me?" the patched tom asked, surprised. He'd assumed that he wasn't supposed to escape here alive, he was certain that the ginger tom would have him killed eventually.

"Not any more. Who knows, you might even prove useful." The ginger tom shrugged, and Tumblebrutus eyed him curiously, wondering what the Hidden Paw could possibly use him for. But the ginger tom had swept out of the room before he had a chance to ask.

"Useful for what?" he asked the empty cell. He soon found out.

After three days of menial chores and doing all the dirty work, Tumblebrutus was fed up. He didn't think that this was what Macavity meant, and he was looking for a way out. Grumbuskin would flay him alive for returning empty handed, but that would be better than cleaning up after Macavity's messier business meetings and fetching and carrying like some common cabin boy. He was growing frustrated, he still hadn't found a way to get out of here. He has already sustained several minor injuries, when he refused to do the work he was ordered to do. He had to think of something, perhaps he could go and speak to Macavity?

'And say what?' he thought bitterly. There had to be something he could do though, the ginger tom hadn't spoken to him directly since he'd first been caught, and he had no idea what had become of the others. He waited, an opportunity would present itself soon enough, he hoped. However, the taunts of the henchcats were beginning to get to him. They, like Macavity, like so many others before him, assumed he was weak because he was small and skinny.

The fifth day after he had been caught, he finally lost his temper. The henchcats had been bugging him constantly for an hour and a half, while he cleaned up one of the recently evacuated cells in the basement. Covered in blood, dirt and Everlasting Cat knows what else, he'd snapped and retorted, surprising the henchcats with his language, which was disgraceful even for a pirate. The cat that he had aimed the insult at growled at him, and prepared to attack. Tumblebrutus glared at him, daring him to start something. The henchcat did, and the young pirate threw all caution to the wind, fighting back viciously.

The other henchcats watched in shock as the two fought brutally, they hadn't expected him to actually be able to fight. Finally the brawl seemed to be over, and for a moment it was hard to work out who had won, until Tumblebrutus got to his paws first. He glared around at them all, fresh blood coating his brown and white paws, offering a challenge to the rest of them, daring them to try next. One of the smarter henchcats took one look over his fallen colleague, then he looked around at the others.

"He's dead." he muttered quietly. The gang of henchcats growled and snarled angrily, and Tumblebrutus prepared for the coming attack, when suddenly there was silence. A tall, imposing figure stood in the door way, watching them with mild interest. Macavity.

"What is going on in here?" he asked quietly, "Aren't you supposed to be cleaning?" he added, looking directly at Tumblerutus. The young bos'un looked up at the ginger tom, his face a picture of innocence.

"I am." he said, as if it was stupid to suggest that he was doing anything else. He saw Macavity look over at the remains of his henchcat, and turn back to him.

"Looks to me like you're adding to the mess." the Hidden Paw growled.


	4. A New Job

**A/N:**Here's chapter four. I apologise for it being a little behind schedule, but after this chapter I didn't have anything more written. That's all changed now, the next two I've written today. Warnings for this chapter include mention of prostitution (gonna be blunt about it, but it's nothing graphic...) Also, from around chapter 6, the rating may go up to M. It's safe for now, but I might have to change it. We'll see how it plays out.

Disclaimer - still don't own Cats.

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**Chapter 4 - A new job**

Tumblebrutus flinched, he guessed that might have been a problem. Macavity probably didn't take too kindly to prisoners killing his henchcats. He eyed the ginger tom defiantly.

"He started it." he said, shrugging.

"You finished it." Macavity hissed. Tumblebrutus nodded.

"He attacked me, I wasn't going to stand there and not defend myself." the patched tom spat angrily.

"I see. That makes sense, I suppose," Macavity said, suddenly thoughtful, "The only problem with that is, he had an important job to do for me tonight, and it's not one he can do while he's dead."

The ginger tom surveyed Tumblebrutus critically, apparently deep in thought. Neither of them spoke for what felt like a long time. Tumblebrutus watched Macavity warily, he figured there would be some sort of retribution for what he'd done. He wasn't sure what that might be. So he waited, determined not to be the one to break the silence.

"I wonder, if you would be capable, if you could manage it." Macavity muttered to himself, seemingly unaware that Tumblebrutus could hear him. The young bosun couldn't help himself though.

"Manage what?" the patched tom asked curiously. Macavity looked down at him, his expression impossible to read.

"The job that the cat you killed had to do. It still has to be done, so someone will have to do it." Macavity said tonelessly.

"Can't be that difficult, if you'd trust it to an idiot like him." Tumblebrutus muttered, indicating the dead cat behind him.

"Well quite," Macavity replied, "Very well. I'll put you to the test, see how useful you are. You can replace him."

Tumblebrutus eyed Macavity curiously, that wasn't quite what he meant. It would probably be more exciting than cleaning blood out of the cracks in the concrete, so he was quite keen to be given something else to do. Perhaps if he got into Macavity's good books, he'd get a chance to escape, or even complete his mission before escaping. The problem with that was, Growltiger was only in London for two weeks, and five of his fourteen days had already passed. He would have to work fast if he wanted to get away from Macavity before the barge left port.

"Fine. So what do I have to do?" Tumblebrutus said.

"The queens, on the streets. Today is the day that my payments are collected, all you have to do is go and collect it, making sure that every one of them pays." the ginger tom explained. Tumblebrutus nodded, that seemed easy enough to him. He knew where to go, but he was hoping that he wouldn't come across Grumbuskin or any other members of the crew. He had gathered that Macavity wouldn't send him out without an escort, he was still a prisoner. Therefore, if Grumbuskin tried to help him, they'd be in trouble. The pirates would be well out numbered, and most likely drunk, they'd lose the fight.

"Finish your cleaning then, and I'll return for you when it's time." Macavity said, walking away. Tumblebrutus sighed and started cleaning up again. The other henchcats left him alone, which he was glad of. He didn't want to have to clean up any more than he already had. It took him an hour and half longer than it should have done, but he'd finally finished the job, and cleaned himself up as well. He waited where he was, Macavity hadn't said anything about where he was to wait. He didn't wait long.

The tall ginger tom returned to the cell to see if Tumblebrutus had finished cleaning up. He looked around the cell, surprised. It was cleaner than he'd ever seen it, the young bosun had done a good job. Perhaps too good. He turned to the brown and white patched tom, who was watching him with an expression of mild curiosity.

"I see you've finished." Macavity said. Tumblebrutus nodded, shrugging.

"Very well. Your next task, as you know, is to go and collect my weekly payments. I know how much I'll be receiving, and I will know if you've stolen anything. If you do, or if you try to escape back to your captain, I might just change my mind about killing you, so be warned." the ginger tom explained coolly. Tumblebrutus just nodded again, to show that he'd heard and understood.

Tumblebrutus had expected these conditions, and he had no intention of escaping, or taking a chance to make Macavity angry at him. He was hoping to have an opportunity to steal the diamond collar before he thought about escaping. He left the headquarters, accompanied by a troupe of five of Macavity's henchcats. Presumably they were there to keep an eye on him, make sure he did what he was supposed to, and stop him from making a run for it. It wasn't really necessary, he was aiming to gain the trust of the Hidden Paw. He had actually considered what it would be like if he left Growltiger's crew, worked here permanently. He might like that, he found himself curious about Macavity. From all he'd heard, the ginger tom had certainly not been what the young bosun would have expected him to be.

They soon reached the place where the street queens worked. Tumblebrutus found himself on Tottenham Court Road. He wasn't surprised that Macavity had been reluctant to send him to the docks. Although many queens worked there as well, catering to the lonely sailors who had been without female company for months while at sea. It wouldn't suit either Tumblebrutus or Macavity's purpose for the young bos'un to be spotted around there when he was supposed to be locked up at the mercy of the Hidden Paw.


	5. Facing the Music

**A/N:**Here's the next chapter, I apologise for the lateness, but I've been having writer's block and other real life stuff. Let's see, warning for minor violence and again for the mention of prostitution. That's pretty much it. Enjoy, and feedback is appreciated and rewarded with e-brownies, as always. **  
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**Chapter 5 – Facing the Music**

Tumblebrutus made his way along the road, picking up the payments from the street queens. It was fairly easy for the most part, since most of them paid up without hesitation. He was propositioned more than once, one queen even offered her 'services' in place of payment. As tempted as he was, Tumblebrutus refused, he would be in serious bother if he didn't return with full payment.

It had gone fairly well, and the young bosun was confident he had collected everything. There was just one last queen to collect from. She eyed Tumblebrutus suspiciously as he approached her. He paused to take stock of her; she was a tall elegant black queen, probably Turkish Angora if he was to name a breed. She looked like a pedigree anyway. A stab of recognition hit the young bosun when he made eye-contact, but he couldn't remember meeting her before.

The black queen stood with a paw on her hip and she flicked her fluffy tail indignantly when the brown and white tom reached her. She fixed him with an icy glare, which told Tumblebrutus that this queen might be a bit more difficult to deal with than the others. She had an air of authority, and a certain confidence about her, or maybe it was arrogance. He walked up to her anyway, he still had a job to do.

"What do you want?" she spoke before Tumblebrutus opened his mouth. Her tone carried a hint of a warning, which the young bosun ignored.

"I'm here to pick up Macavity's payment," he answered, making it clear that he wasn't intimidated by her.

"No you're not, you filthy little pirate," she spat contemptuously.

"I am." Tumblebrutus replied simply, but her reply had caused him another stab of recognition, a half memory that he couldn't quite recall. He didn't show it, but he had been thrown off a little, that she seemed to know who he was, or at least his occupation.

"I don't believe you, you don't work for Macavity." The queen growled.

"I do now," Tumblebrutus argued, getting a little annoyed. _Damn it,_ he cursed to himself. He had remembered who she was. He had spent some 'time' with this queen, the last time they were in London, and he'd run off without paying. He'd had a lot of rum, and hadn't remembered about it until the next morning, but they'd already left port by then.

"Bull. You're probably just trying to steal from me, it's a step up from not paying." The queen snarled angrily, her fluffy tail now lashing behind her. "You won't get anything from me!"

Tumblebrutus glared at her, he was getting close to losing his temper, and that wouldn't be a good thing, for anyone.

"Listen, sweetheart, it's my neck on the line if Macavity doesn't get what he's owed. I suggest you stop messing about and hand it over, before I really get annoyed." He hissed warningly.

A sudden sharp pain in his jaw forced a yelp out of Tumblebrutus. The queen had hit him, and her sharp claws had left scratches down his face. He let out a low growl, not noticing the henchcats that had stayed back earlier but were now moving closer to intervene if it was necessary. Before they could speak or do anything to prevent it, Tumblebrutus had hit her back, rather harder than maybe he meant to, because she had fallen to the ground under the force of it. The queen had let out a string of hisses, growls and curses as she struggled to get to her feet. She put a paw to her face, staring at Tumblebrutus with a mixture of anger and shock on her face.

Tumblebrutus just glared at her, his paw outstretched, waiting expectantly. She handed over the payment reluctantly, but she did hand it over. She then turned and stalked off, muttering something about a broken nose and that the Boss would be hearing about this. Tumblebrutus sighed, he was still annoyed about that, and he was sure there would be retribution when Macavity found out.

He was also a little surprised at what he'd done, he'd never hit a queen before. He put it down to his imprisonment and the frustration of the last few days; he wasn't controlling his temper as well as he normally might have done. He turned around, planning on heading back to Macavity's headquarters to hand over the money. He walked along the streets with a sense of dread that increased with every step. He considered making a break for it, but he knew the henchcats were still tailing him. He knew he had no real option but to go back to Macavity.

Tumblebrutus took a longer route back, trying to delay his arrival at Macavity's place. He wasn't sure why, part of him knew that that would allow time for word to get back to the Hidden Paw about what Tumblebrutus had done. He did it anyway, making the most of the time he had where he could still walk. He found himself in Jellicle land without realising it; he was fairly close to the Junkyard. He moved a little faster, keen to avoid confrontation but he stopped when he saw himself across the street. No it couldn't be, but the tom looked so much like him but with deliberate mistakes.

His eyes widened when the other tom spotted him, and stopped walking, staring intently at Tumblebrutus. He paused for a moment; he instinctively knew who that tom was. That thought was what finally nudged him into action, and he made a run for it, not slowing down until he had put a good distance between himself and that other tom.

Tumblebrutus finally reached Macavity's pub headquarters. He stared at the almost derelict looking building. _Time to face the music,_ he thought to himself, resigned to the worst he walked into the building and made his way to Macavity's 'office' where the ginger tom said he would be waiting. He hesitated, before knocking quietly on the door, hoping that Macavity wasn't there. The voice that ordered him to enter the office told him otherwise.

The young bosun entered the room with a certain apprehension, which was immediately doubled when he caught sight of Macavity's expression. Hoping to appease the Mystery Cat somewhat, he stepped forward and placed the money on the old crate that seemed to be serving as some sort of desk. He stepped back quickly and waited with bated breath for the ginger tom to speak.


	6. Consequences

**A/n: **It's back! I know it's been a long long time, and Tumble Bandit I am so sorry for keeping you in suspence for three months! This one has been on hiatus for ages, but I think now I know where it's going so hopefully the next part will be up soon. Read, review, you know the drill.

**Chapter 6** - **Consequences**

Macavity didn't speak straight away. Tumblebrutus watched, his tail twitching nervously, as the ginger tom ignored him completely and turned his attention to the money that had been handed over. Without looking up, he carefully counted it through twice, to make sure that it was all there. To an outsider, it would seem that this was insignificant, and that Macavity was merely putting business first, but the tension in the room was palpable. The real intention was to place further strain on Tumblebrutus, by making him wait, not knowing what was going to happen to him.

Tumblebrutus was sure now that Macavity already knew what had happened and he was kicking himself for delaying in his return. Still he waited, too scared to break the silence. Finally Macavity put the money away and turned his attention to the tom standing in front of him. He fixed Tumblebrutus with a stare, his posture was calm and when he finally spoke he sounded calm as well. That made him all the more frightening.

"You brought me all of the money. You had no difficulties then?" the ginger tom said, finally breaking the silence although not quite breaking the tension in the air. Tumblebrutus' eyes widened a little, perhaps the ginger tom hadn't heard yet.

"Not really." The brown and white tom said easily, he was a practiced liar.

"Are you sure?" Macavity asked again, his tone carrying a hint of a warning. Tumblebrutus swallowed hard and simply nodded.

"I know you're lying." Macavity spoke quietly, but those four words seemed to snap the tension in the room.

Tumblebrutus flinched; he could sense that he was in for serious trouble now. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't think of anything to say that might help his situation, and arguing would definitely get him killed.

"You hurt one of my best queens, she has a broken nose and she will not be able to work for me again until it heals. Why did you hit her?" Macavity said, his icily calm tone sending chills down Tumblebrutus' spine. The young bosun didn't have any idea how to answer that question, saying something like 'she hit me first' was far too kittenish, but something compelled him to speak up anyway. Perhaps there was something in Macavity's tone, or body language that suggested he would be better off if he answered.

"She refused to believe that I was there on your behalf, and she attacked me." He replied hesitantly, having the sense to tell the truth.

"I see. Why didn't she believe you?" Macavity asked, still worryingly calm. Tumblebrutus shifted uncomfortably.

"Uhm… she knew who I was." He finally answered, breaking eye contact with Macavity and speaking to the floor instead.

"I assume you mean in a … business setting," the ginger tom said, smirking slightly. Tumblebrutus nodded, he seemed to have relaxed a little. Perhaps Macavity wasn't that angry about it after all.

"All sailors get a little lonely, six months at sea without female company, it takes its toll." The young bosun said simply with a shrug.

"It makes me a tidy profit when you come into port as well," Macavity replied. Tumblebrutus looked up again, and offered an uncertain smile.

"However," Macavity continued, his sharp tone caused the half-smile to instantly vanish from Tumblebrutus' face, "That is no excuse for hitting a queen. You will have to find some way to make up for it."

Tumblebrutus just stared at Macavity, reeling. He couldn't possibly be suggesting… he couldn't mean… He had been forced to replace the henchcat he'd killed, what if… He shook his head, no way. Macavity couldn't mean that, he'll probably just give Tumblebrutus more tedious chores to do or something. He hoped.

"How?" he finally asked in a small voice, cringing.

Macavity had a positively sinister glint in his eye when he answered.

"I thought that would have been obvious. You will have to replace her, although perhaps not on the streets, she does have other responsibilities." The ginger tom said cryptically.

It took all of Tumblebrutus' self control to stay on his feet and stop his knees giving way. He reeled from the shock; Macavity had just confirmed his worst case scenario. He stared at the ginger tom open-mouthed, and Macavity was having some difficulty hiding his amusement. He remembered something that he'd thought about when he had first come face to face with Macavity. He had thought that there was something almost alluring about the ginger tom, and he'd dismissed that thought rather quickly. It came back to him now, and he realized that it was true.

Macavity had noticed that Tumblebrutus seemed to have recovered somewhat, apparently he was thinking things over. The Hidden Paw waited patiently for him to respond.

The more Tumblebrutus thought about it, the more he realized that he was probably being given an easy option. Well, not easy, but it could be a lot worse. He had been expecting to be beaten up or something, maybe even killed. He certainly hadn't expected this, but it wouldn't be that bad. Would it? Who knows, it might be worth it, it could be interesting at any rate. He couldn't see any other option anyway, and with that thought he ended the internal battle and made his decision. He didn't need to be happy about it though.

"Fine. What do I have to do?" the brown and white tom finally conceded.

"Don't worry, it's nothing you won't be able to handle, I'm sure." Macavity replied vaguely, perhaps he was trying to sound reassuring. It wasn't working very well.

"Okay." Tumblebrutus muttered, trying to keep his uncertainty out of his voice. He couldn't prevent a slight nervous twitch of his tail, but Macavity seemed to be ignoring that. Another thing he couldn't prevent was a wide yawn that had snuck up on him. He realized he was feeling quite tired, it had been a long day.

Of course, that yawn couldn't be missed by Macavity. He chuckled softly, watching the tom in front of him with mild amusement and a little curiosity.

"Get some rest, we can… discuss this further tomorrow." The ginger tom suggested. Tumblebrutus nodded, and keen to be alone with his thoughts and away from the ginger tom's penetrating stare he scurried out of the room and headed for his cell. He was still locked in overnight, but fortunately Macavity had deemed the chain unnecessary. It meant he could sleep more comfortably.

He thought a little about what he had just agreed to, but sleep quickly caught up with him. His final thought before he nodded off was that he would just have to wait and see what tomorrow brought.


	7. Whats in Store

**A/n:** Kind of a short one this one, but since I've finally finished writing this and it's been going way too long, I'm giving you the last three chapters in one update. I hope you enjoy the ending. I'm glad it's finally finished, but there is a possibility of a prequel, or sequel, or something. So all I'll say now is enjoy and review.

* * *

**Chapter 7 - What's in Store**

The next morning arrived with a bang. Literally. One of Macavity's henchcats had slammed the door to the cellar on his way down to fetch Tumblebrutus. The brown and white patched tom stirred with a groan, as he woke up the memories of the previous night washed over him. That woke him up a little, he remembered what he'd agreed to, and he realised what the henchcat must be here for. He was on his feet, his fur on end and hissing warningly by the time the henchcat had reached his cell door. The tom hesitated, and seemed confused, which made Tumblebrutus relax a little.

"What do you want?" he growled, still eyeing the henchcat suspiciously.

"The boss sent me to fetch you," the henchcat replied hesitantly, carefully unlocking the cell door and opening it uncertainly.

"Oh." was all the young bosun could manage. He was getting paranoid, he chastised himself. It was perfectly understandable, in a place like this. He nodded and followed the henchcat, a mixture of dread and curiosity causing a feeling that his stomach was doing backflips, and not necessarily in the good way.

They reached Macavity's 'office' all too soon, and Tumblebrutus' trepidation increased when the henchcat left him standing alone outside the door.

He sighed and forced himself to knock on the door, resisting the urge to bolt. He groaned quietly when Macavity told him to go in, but he entered the office anyway, still partly curious to see what was going to happen.

"Relax," Macavity said, noticing the tension and the nervousness in the young bosun's body language, "Don't be so nervous."

"Sorry," Tumblebrutus muttered, still not meeting the ginger tom's eye.

"Don't apologise either, just take it easy, I'm not going to eat you." Macavity said, getting a little annoyed.Tumblebrutus said nothing, but instead stared intently at the floor, unsure of what to say or what he was supposed to do next.

"I have a feeling you already understand what I'm expecting from you." the ginger tom continued, apparently not bothered that the bosun wasn't speaking. Tumblebrutus gave a nod, the only acknowledgement that he'd been listening. "Well, that saves further explanations then. It's not going to be a problem, I trust?"

"Huh?" He was getting a choice? "I..." Was he getting a choice? "I guess not." Yes, yes it was a problem. Tumblebrutus couldn't for the life of him figure out why he hadn't said so, he had indeed worked out that replacing the queen didn't mean providing for the henchcats. It meant providing for their boss. Which of those would be worse, the young pirate didn't know.

"Glad to hear it. Don't look so worried, you're in safe paws." That was reassuring, if it hadn't come from the Hidden Paw's mouth. "Now, I believe you have chores to be getting on with, I shall send for you this evening."

"Okay." Tumblebrutus managed to say, miraculously without squeaking. He paused for a moment, it seemed as though the ginger tom had something else to say. He was still watching the bosun, as always his expression was unreadable, but something about his expression made Tumblebrutus' fur stand on end. He turned and left the office, feeling Macavity's eyes on him even after he closed the door behind him. He ran off to get on with his set tasks, hoping to be able to take his mind off of what he was going to be doing later. It was cruel to make him wait even longer, he'd be thinking about it all day. Perhaps that was deliberate?

-----

"Any word from the bo'sun yet?" Growltiger demanded, eyeing Grumbuskin suspiciously.

"Not yet, Cap'n. The rest of the troupe made it back, but Tumblebrutus is still ashore."

"Aye? I don't see how we can wait any longer. If he's not back in threedays, he's left ashore until next time we make port in London." Growltiger was one of the classic grizzled old seacaptains, running a tight ship, ruthless, merciless and paranoid. His real intentions were just as Macavity had deduced, he'd planned to get Tumblebrutus off his ship. There may have been whisperings of a mutiny, there may not. Growltiger wasn't taking a chance.

"Aye cap'n," Grumbuskin agreed, taking his leave to supervise the loading of the hold. As always, making port meant collecting supplies. The first mate couldn't help but wonder, if Tumblebrutus would make it back in time. Grumbuskin himself was rather fond of the bo'sun, he was good at his job.

----

Unaware that he had less time than he'd initially thought to collect his prize, Tumblebrutus was sure it was the end for him anyway. The day had positively dragged on, often menial chores were good for taking one's mind off of things, but for some reason this tactic had just not worked. It had only resulted in a gradual increase in his apprehension until he could barely stand it. By the time the henchcat arrived to show him where to go, he was little more than a bundle of nerves wrapped up in brown and white fur. He followed the henchcat in silence, tail and ears twitching at every sound. They stopped outside a door. Without warning the door was opened and Tumblebrutus was roughly shoved through it, cringing as it slammed behind him. 'At least I didn't land flat on my face,' he thought to himself, tentatively opening his eyes to see where he was.

"Wow..."


	8. Time Waits For No Tom

**Chapter 8 - Time Waits For No Tom**

The room itself was large, but it didn't feel empty by any means. It was full of stuff: the walls were plastered with newspaper clippings, each one detailing a different crime. The floor was piled up with various trinkets and papers and a lot of different things, most of which looked incredibly expensive. All of it stolen of course, and the young bo'sun felt a jolt in his stomach as he spotted the diamond collar, it held pride of place hanging on a shelf above the bed. The bed was the most comfortable looking arrangement of blankets and pillows the pirate had ever seen in his life. Even with the pile of wild ginger fur sprawled in the center of it.

"I'm glad you approve." the ginger tom purred, looking over at Tumblebrutus.

"I didn't expect it be this... this..."

"Comfortable? Why not?" Macavity finished for him, immediately following it up with a question.

"I don't know." the patched tom answered honestly. Macavity shook his head, choosing to leave it at that.

"Well? You're not just going to stand at the door, are you?" That prompted Tumblebrutus into moving, and he took a few more steps into the room properly, his attention now focussed on the ginger tom as he remembered, with a squirming of his insides, what he was there to do. "Come on, don't be shy." That purr could have convinced anyone to do absolutely anything. It worked it's magic, and nudged the pirate into moving until he was standing by the bed. A look from Macavity was sufficient to get him to sit down on the bed, subconsciously wrapping his paws around himself.

He jumped when he felt a paw on his shoulder, and turned to look at the ginger tom. "Take it easy," Macavity whispered gently, for the first time he actually did sound reassuring and felt himself begin to relax. The paw moved over the back of his neck, across his other shoulder and back again, the touch gentle, soothing. It wasn't long before it succeeded in coaxing a purr out of Tumblebrutus. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

---------

Apparently it had been a lot better than 'not bad' as Tumblebrutus' satisfied smile showed quite clearly. It had taken him a while to relax properly, but Macavity's patience had eventually paid off. Both toms now lounged on the comfortable bed, neither of them feeling a need to say anything. The young bosun was thinking over what had just happened, he had to admit to himself that he hadn't expected it to be that much fun for him. It had, Macavity had surprised him in many ways. He was still terrifying, just not what Tumblebrutus had expected him to be like.

"Tell me, now that we're such… good friends. If I had to make you an offer, to work for me full time, what would you say?" The ginger tom said lazily, startling the other tom out of his reverie. The bosun paused for a moment, thinking his answer over. Was he making an offer, or was this purely hypothetical?

"I think I'd like that." He eventually answered, turning to look at the Hidden Paw, trying to work out whether this was a true offer or not.

"Shall I take that as a yes?"

Tumblebrutus grinned. "Yes, I suppose you can."

"Glad to hear it."

"So… does that mean… uh…"

"You're not a prisoner anymore? Yes, it does."

Tumblebrutus smiled, which quickly turned into a yawn. He was suddenly very tired, but definitely happier now that his situation had improved. Macavity chuckled, watching the younger tom with mild amusement.

"Sleep. If you must." He said, unable to keep the amusement from his voice as Tumblebrutus flushed a little with embarrassment.

"What? Here? You don't mind?"

"If I minded, I'd have told you to get out of here."

"Oh okay. Uhm… thanks."

"Just shut up and go to sleep."

That was perhaps unnecessary, Tumblebrutus' eyes were already closing and before long he was sound asleep. He awoke the following morning, to find Macavity awake but still in the room. It had been real, it wasn't just some twisted rum-induced dream. He wondered idly if Macavity had slept at all.

"Morning." The bosun said with a yawn, stretching himself fully.

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

"Like a kitten."

"There's work to do. Get yourself some breakfast, I've got to go out today but I'm sure you can manage on your own."

Tumblebrutus nodded, finished with his stretching. He knew what he was supposed to be doing, although he was a little taken aback by Macavity's abrupt tone. He followed the ginger tom out of the room, leaving him to head for the kitchen. A quick breakfast prepared him for spending most of the day working. It was boring, but Tumblebrutus took to it with renewed enthusiasm. Everything just seemed so much better now, even as he scrubbed blood from concrete floors for three hours.

He stopped for dinner, assuming it would be okay to eat since no-one stopped him. He wasn't sure what to do with himself now, he hadn't seen the ginger tom all day and he'd finished his assigned tasks. The henchcats avoided him, for some reason Tumblebrutus was just not popular among them. He finished his meal and was about to dump the remains when Macavity entered the kitchen.

"There you are. Everything in order?"

"Aye. Everything's done."

"Good. You and I need to have a chat." Macavity said that quite sharply, causing Tumblebrutus to look up at him.

"What about?"

"Just come with me." Macavity said, leading the bosun up to his bedroom again. Once they were both settled on the bed, he began to explain that he'd heard a few things about Tumblebrutus' former employer.

"How long are you supposed to be here for?" the ginger tom asked.

"It was two weeks, so, at least another week."

"I heard that your captain is preparing to leave tomorrow. They've been taking on supplies for two days. I think they plan to leave you behind."

Tumblebrutus couldn't do anything but stare. They were marooning him in London? He couldn't believe it. He shook his head defiantly, no way would they task him with such an important mission then abandon him.

"I think I know why. Whatever it was you were sent here to do, I don't think Growltiger intended for you to return. He's getting paranoid I think, and let's face it, you're known as a mutineer." Macavity went on to explain, knowing that this meant that Tumblebrutus would have to stay here. He'd be useful, the ginger tom wasn't keen to let him go.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Not if I'm staying here." Tumblebrutus replied, still defiant.

"True. If you wish, you can go back to your captain."

"No. I'll stay."


	9. No Hard Feelings

**Chapter 9 - No Hard Feelings**

Tumblebrutus had spent the night with Macavity again, but he was unsettled and found himself unable to sleep very well. He was having trouble forgetting the new deadline, and woke up while it was still very dark outside. It had to be the early hours of the morning. He didn't have much time to get back to the ship, and he didn't know if he wanted to.

He was quite happy to stay with Macavity, he was treated a lot better now and it was a more comfortable life. He couldn't give up the sea though, he'd sooner give up breathing. He knew it would be dangerous, he knew Macavity would be upset but he decided then to go through with his original plan. It had been on his mind since he'd first been caught.

He opened his eyes, looking around the dark room to find himself alone. He'd fallen asleep with Macavity close beside him and hadn't even noticed the ginger tom leaving. It didn't matter though, that just made this easier. He could get away before anyone noticed anything. He reached up, carefully removing the diamond collar from it's hook. He paused at the door, listening for signs of life outside it. He heard nothing, and opening the door held no surprise for him.

Grabbing a posh looking piece of cloth that might have been a handkerchief or something, he wrapped the collar carefully in it before making his way silently out of the room. He crept along the corridors, alert for any sound that might be an approaching henchcat or even Macavity himself.

He managed to get out of the building unnoticed, there had been one moment where all might have been lost. A henchcat had almost come across him, he'd only just ducked into the open doorway of a dark empty room when the cat turned the corner. He didn't relax yet, taking off up the streets to get as far from Macavity's headquarters as he possibly could before the ginger tom noticed he was missing. It wasn't until he caught the fresh scent of the dockside that he began to feel safer.

Macavity made his way back to his quarters, feeling distinctly annoyed at being disturbed for something so trivial. He didn't mind too much, Macavity rather enjoyed doing his own dirty work most of the time, but some things were just not worth the trouble. The henchcats should have been able to deal with it.

He entered the room, noticing immediately that something wasn't right. The room was empty. Tumblebrutus had been sleeping here, and now he wasn't. Macavity was confused for a moment, looking around the room for a sign of someone coming in, perhaps his captain had changed his mind about leaving him ashore?

No, there was something else missing as well. It took the ginger tom a moment to realise what he wasn't seeing. He wasn't seeing it because it wasn't there. The collar! That diamond collar he'd stolen for the Lady, that collar he'd risked his tail to get, had been stolen.

"That little… pirate!" The room seemed to shake with the ginger tom's enraged snarl. Any henchcats that may have been asleep were quickly woken up, every one of them sent out on to the streets to track Tumblebrutus down. Macavity himself joined the hunt, nobody stole from him and got away with it.

It was almost light by the time Tumblebrutus had reached the docks. He spotted the barge, and Grumbuskin standing on the edge of the pier it was tied to. It was now or never. He walked calmly towards the First Mate, showing no indication that he'd just bolted through half of London.

Grumbuskin spotted him right away, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing. He watched the bosun approach, finding the cocky smirk on his face even more confusing. He fixed the younger tom with a stare, questioning without words what had happened.

"What? You didn't think you'd get rid of me that easily, did you?"

"How did you- never mind. Save it for the cap'n, he'd not gonna be too pleased with you." Grumbuskin warned.

"We'll see."

The two toms stepped aboard the barge, going straight to Growltiger's quarters. The Captain found it harder to conceal his surprise at the bosun's return. That was when Tumblebrutus knew he'd made the right choice. He knew he'd have to get this over with quickly, he had a feeling Macavity would follow him here.

"So. You're back."

"Yup."

"You failed. You got caught."

"I did get caught, but I didn't fail." Tumblebrutus pointed out smugly, producing the handkerchief with all the flair of a magician. He laid it on the table and unfolded it carefully to reveal the diamond collar, which sparkled in the candlelight of the dark cabin.

"You got it? You actually got it?" Grumbuskin asked incredulously, unable to stay quiet any longer.

"Yeah. Of course I did." The bosun said pointedly. He knew what they had been trying to do.

"Well… well done. I'm impressed." Growltiger said with very little feeling.

"In that case, there's little point hanging around in case he comes after you. Get to work, both of ye."

"Aye Cap'n." two voices said in perfect unison, before Grumbuskin and Tumblebrutus left the room. The First mate gave the bosun a slap on the back and a grin, which was enough to tell Tumblebrutus that it was all Growltiger's idea. He then sent the bosun to oversee the last of the loading.

Just as the last barrel was loaded on board and two of the crew were pulling the gangplank in, Tumblebrutus looked up in time to see Macavity arriving at the docks. The ginger tom made a beeline for the barge, but it was too late for him to jump aboard.

"Get back here you filthy thieving pirate!" The ginger tom snarled.

"Sorry Mac, I changed my mind. No hard feelings though." Tumblebrutus called back cheerfully, glancing at Grumbuskin before turning back to the ginger tom.

"I'll give you no hard feelings!" Macavity growled.

"I'll be back in a couple of years. I'm sure we can sort something out then." He called, turning away to prepare to leave. He would be back in a couple of years, maybe even sooner if things went well.

To the surprise of his henchcats, Macavity didn't say another word, he just turned and walked away. The Hidden Paw was sure that no-one else had spotted that conspirational wink Tumblebrutus had given him just as he'd turned away. He'd get his own back on Growltiger, and so would Macavity. It was amazing how things always had a way of working out.


End file.
